It's 2009. Do you know where your public image is?
More places than you might think. In the era of social-networking, even
private people have public images. And those images may need upgrading,
says veteran Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman, who suggests using
proven Tinseltown techniques to shape your public persona.
"Ten years ago, this was not a skill you
needed unless you were at the highest level of Hollywood or
Washington," he said. "Today it's a skill that most people who are
aggressive and ambitious need.
"If you own a business, if you're an environmental activist, if you're president of the PTA, you have a public image."
Bragman offers a how-to book for
non-famous folks who want to overhaul their images: "Where's My Fifteen
Minutes?: Get Your Company, Your Cause, or Yourself the Recognition You
Deserve," which is due this month.
Drawing on more than 25 years as a
publicist and crisis counselor, Bragman takes readers step by step
through the Hollywood publicity process: shaping an image, hosting
events, working with media and overcoming mistakes.
"You don't have to hire a publicist. You
don't need a huge media campaign. But what you do need is some intent
and some vision of what you're trying to achieve," he said. "I consider
the book sort of 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' in the new
millennium."
Bragman has guided Monica Lewinsky, Paula
Abdul and Isaiah Thomas through scandals. He's put on parties with
Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor. He helped Mischa Barton navigate
the Hollywood landscape and Ricki Lake reintroduce herself to a
national audience.
"I think his advice can work for anyone,"
Lake said. "All average people ... they wanted their 15 minutes of
fame, and they were regular folks."
Marlee Matlin, a longtime client of
Bragman's, said his image-shaping approach is especially helpful during
bleak economic times.
"In this world where everything changes
so quickly and competition gets fiercer by the minute, the idea that
you need to get your foot in the door through tried-and-true concepts
that have worked to well in the entertainment business (and) personal
PR makes perfect sense," Matlin said in an e-mail.
Bragman, 52, began writing the book seven
years ago, when he was a professor of public relations at the
University of Southern California. Rather than being "the man behind
the curtain who nobody knows," Bragman said he wanted to unveil the
secrets of public relations and explain how they can work in everyday
life - particularly in the Internet age.
These days, image management isn't an option, Bragman said, but a critical step for staying competitive and getting ahead.